Press Releases: U.S. Delegation to Our Ocean 2018

The Government of the Republic of Indonesia will host Our Ocean 2018: Our Ocean, Our Legacy in Bali, October 29–30, 2018. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Judith Garber will lead the U.S. government delegation. The U.S. delegation will also include senior officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office (NMIO), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Our Ocean conference began as a Department of State initiative to draw international attention to the importance of the ocean for our economies, our food security, and our health—as well as the need for collaboration and concrete action to support sustainable use of our ocean and its resources. Representatives from the business community, the science and technology community, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and funders are expected to announce major commitments to support a healthy and productive ocean and a sustainable blue economy. Top priorities for the United States at this year’s conference include fostering collaboration among government, business, and other partners to create innovative solutions for the challenges facing the ocean; tackling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and promoting a sustainable blue economy and maritime security. More details about this year’s conference can be found at ourocean2018.org.